A cold weather alert has been issued for all of the UK from the beginning of next week (Monday, March 6) and the west coast of Scotland is set to be affected.

Very cold air will spread across the UK from Monday – bringing snow and a risk of ice, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.

Additionally, large swathes of northern and eastern Scotland have been issued with a yellow weather warning for snow and ice by the Met Office.

Together the organisations are warning that all regions of England will experience cold weather from 1 am on Monday (March 6) to midnight on Wednesday (March 8).

Whilst the west coast of Scotland is not forecast to have snow, here's what sort of temperatures are to be expected from Monday.

West Scotland weather forecast for the beginning of next week

On the Met Office page for Ardrossan the temperatures are forecast to be below freezing on plenty of occasions from Monday to Wednesday.

On Monday it will fall to 1C at 9 pm but it will feel like -3C, and this is before the overnight temperatures come in.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, it will remain below freezing until 9 am, with it falling to -2C at 6 am.

Later on at 9 pm, it will reach 0C once again with it remaining that way until early on Wednesday morning.

This is a similar pattern that will apply to the rest of Ayrshire and the west coast of Scotland for those days.

UKHSA gives advice for freezing temperatures

The UKHSA is encouraging people to stay warm and look out for those most at risk from the effects of the weather, such as people with medical conditions or over the age of 65.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: “During periods like this, it is important to check in on family, friends and relatives who may be more vulnerable to the cold weather, as it can have a serious impact on health.

“If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65, it is important to try and heat your home to at least 18C if you can.”